1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to bicycle wheel assemblies and, more specifically, to bicycle wheel assemblies having a solid or filled tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of tires have been devised for mounting on vehicles, such as automobiles, bicycles and the like. Such tires typically include a wheel assembly having a tire formed of a rubber compound mounted thereon. The tire is either of the tubeless or tube type which is inflatable to a predetermined pressure.
Such tires are susceptible to puncture which necessitates repair or replacement. In an effort to overcome such problems, various types of solid or filled tires have been devised. The solid tires are formed of a rubber or plastic compound which is molded into a strip form, cut to length and bonded around a rim or the solid tires are molded into the desired circular shape from suitable plastic materials, such as polyurethane, and placed over a rim. It is also known to mold such solid tires from polyurethane material directly onto a hub wheel assembly by placing an axle into a mold, pouring a polyurethane mixture into the mold and allowing the mixture to set to a solid state as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,597.
Such tire constructions have also been applied to bicycle wheel assemblies in which a molded, solid tire is formed using polyurethane elastomers to form the tire which is subsequently installed over a conventional rim assembly. Although the use of solid or filled tires on vehicles, and in particular on bicycles, has eliminated punctures and has increased the useful lift of the tires, previous wheel assemblies have been directed towards a separate molding or formation of the tire and rim assemblies, which are subsequently joined together to form the bicycle or vehicle wheel assembly.
A much more desirable wheel assembly for bicycles from manufacturing and end use viewpoints would be a one-piece assembly having a solid or filled tire formed over the rim assembly and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.